Rock Hall squatters to get DuraVilla houses

Some of the squatters living in Rock Hall, St Philip stand to benefit from the partnership between the National Housing Corporation (NHC) and Guyanese manufacturer DuraVilla.

Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance Dwight Sutherland said on Wednesday that some of the hardwood prefab houses arriving from Guyana later this month will provide housing solutions for the Rock Hall residents who will be relocated to Concordia Gardens, Dodds, St Philip and other areas.

“Rock Hall relocation would see some 227 persons being relocated from that site. We have started the process thus far. We have moved seven persons. We have built some 26 houses, in addition, so that makes some 33 persons that we will move before the end of this financial year. In addition to that, we have acquired land at Dodds in St Philip, what we call Concordia Gardens North, where we are now carrying out infrastructure work,” he said.

‘You have some three acres [there] and on Thursday, I’m taking a paper to Cabinet to vest the land into NHC so when the hardwood houses arrive in this country this month, some will be going to Clifden [also in St Philip] and we have allocated some to Concordia Gardens. We are making Concordia Gardens available so that we can have the relocation of Rock Hall residents occur in the next financial year.”

Sutherland added that while it would be a “challenging task”, he wanted all the Rock Hall residents to be relocated in less than three years.

The Housing Minister defended the Government’s decision to provide alternate housing for the squatters.

“When we visited Rock Hall, we had some naysayers in this country, persons who criticised Government. If you criticise Government for looking to relocate persons who are living on a dump and who are living in an area that is risky, then you have to criticise all governments,” he said.

“We are not looking at party now; any government who assumes office in this country would want to make sure that the citizens are comfortable. Housing, education, basic stuff on Maslow’s [hierarchy of] needs – water, food, shelter – they are critical for every single individual who lives in this country.”

In February last year, during a walkthrough at a show home at Agrofest in Queens Park, St Michael, Sutherland announced Government’s plans to construct 1 000 homes through the Guyana partnership. Back then he said the houses were valued at $100 000 for mainly low-income earners.

The show home was a two-bedroom property on 600 square feet with photovoltaic panels on the roof. (SZB)